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nafmeadmin.
nafmeadminI am a 10+ year veteran teacher with experience in both band and general music (jh/hs and elementary). Due to cuts in our district I was moved to the middle school (6th /7th) choral position. This position has been through a lot of changes in the past 5 years and the current schedule is wearing me down. I have 320 students divided into 3 sixth grade choirs and 3 seventh. Every student in our middle school is required to take either band or choir every day, all year. My problems so far have been motivating the students who don’t want to sing. In the past the students had the option of taking a general music class either every other day or for one semester, but due to cuts we have no study hall for them to go to when not in class. I am currently working on a proposal to present to the principal/building leadership team on reinstating a general music program. My thoughts so far are mainly on numbers/scheduling. If I have 2 sixth grade choirs of 60 and 1 sixth grade general music class of 40 and the same for seventh, I will still be able to teach the same number of students, but I feel my choir classes will be much more productive with the non-participants removed. And this gives the general music students the opportunity to learn about music in a way that is more appealing to them. In my idea of a schedule I would have general music every other day and have them in my room for a study hall on the other days. Do you have any thoughts/ideas as to how best present this in a proposal? I want to make sure my plan is written as what’s best for the students and their education.
nafmeadminCan you not have general music every day?
nafmeadminI would really try to have a music class everyday. Otherwise the students who really do not want to do music will not even remotely take the class seriously. The faculty will also view you this way. When you go with the proposal I would also have a general curriculum mapped out, the broad picture, this will also help your case.
nafmeadminI teach in a PreK-8 school and totally agree with your idea to have a break-off 7th grade General Music class. Kids who don’t want to be in choir are just wearing you and others down and taking your time. In GM they will be able to explore other genres, do projects and frankly more things which may be interesting to them. I’ve tried to get 7th graders to sing – hahaha – so I feel your pain. …. I’ve frankly never heard of study hall for middle school. Do your kids get technology or art? Middle Schoolers in my building go between gym, band, art and technology. You’re on the right track, though.
Christopher M. Johnson, Professor of Music Education and Music Therapy, is currently the Chair of the Music Education and Music Therapy Department and Director of the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. Johnson earned his Ph.D. from the Florida State University.
Since his arrival at The University of Kansas, Johnson has taught courses in Instrumental Conducting, Teaching Instrumental Music, Managing Behaviors in the Music Environment, Psychology and Acoustics of Music, and Research Methods in Music Education and Music Therapy. Johnson served two terms as the editor of the International Journal of Music Education: Research, the research publication of the International Society for Music Education. He is currently serving his second term on the National Association for Music Educations Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. He also served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education, and one earlier term as the Chair for the MENC Executive Committee of the Society for Research in Music Education. Johnson also served as the Chair for the Research Commission of the International Society for Music Education.
Johnson’s research interests include applied research in music education, and basic research in all aspects of the psychology of music. He has published articles in many journals including the Journal of Research in Music Education, the International Journal of Music Education, the Journal of Music Therapy, Journal of Band Research, Contributions to Music Education, and the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, among others. Johnson has also been an active member and contributor to the Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education and World Alliance for Arts Education.
Johnson received a university teaching award – the Ned N. Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and received the recognition for Graduate Teaching Achievement from the Center for Teaching Excellence. Johnson was also awarded a lecturing & research award as a J. William Fulbright Scholar and recently received the Ella Scoble Opperman Citation for Distinguished Achievement from the Florida State University College of Music.
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